Kırşehir Ahi Evran University, which is a role model for many institutions in Turkiye with its success in quality studies, has started a new quality journey. The Participation Ceremony of the National Quality Movement was held at KAEU, where new steps were taken for the EFQM Excellence Model. Deputy Governor İsmail Çetinkaya, Rector of KAEU Prof. Dr. Vatan Karakaya, General-Secretary of the Turkish Quality Association (KALDER) Sabri Bülbül, Vice-Rectors Prof Dr. Mustafa Kurt and Prof Dr. Mustafa Kasım Karahocagil, Secretary-General of KAEU Mehmet Zeki Küçük, administrators of Kırşehir, deans, principals, academic and administrative staff and students of KAEU attended the ceremony.
Karahocagil: “Quality is One of the Basic Policies of KAEU”
The opening speech of the Participation Ceremony of the National Quality Movement was made by Vice-Rector and Quality Management Coordinator Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kasım Karahocagil who gave information about the quality process of KAEU. Explaining that the quality assurance system has started to be implemented at Kırşehir Ahi Evran University as the basic policy of our university in 2016, Karahocagil emphasized that as a result of the quality studies carried out, KAEU is the first state university to receive ISO9001: 2015 Quality Management System Certificate with all its units. Prof. Dr. Mustafa stated that long before the decision taken by the Higher Education Quality Council (THEQC) to establish internal quality security systems at universities, they started to create an Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) for administrative processes and a Quality Assurance System in Education (QASE) for education and training processes. Kasım Karahocagil continued his speech as follows: “All processes of all units of KAEU have started to be defined and implemented through the domestic and national IQMS and the same software, which we have developed both internal quality assurance systems originally. Thanks to these achievements in quality studies, Kırşehir Ahi Evran University, which is one of the 12 universities whose applications for the Institutional Accreditation Program carried out by THEQC were accepted in 2021, was entitled to receive the Full Institutional Accreditation Certificate for 5 years as a result of the evaluation made in April by the THEQC General Council.”
Karahocagil: “Quality is a Process, Not a Result”
Stating that the quality process and journey of KAEU still continue as a result of all the successes in the field of quality, Karahocagil said, “Quality is a process, not a result. Our aim is to make quality a corporate culture and lifestyle in the land of Ahilik as the first university to implement the EFQM Excellence Model in all its units.”. Wishing the EFQM Excellence Model to be beneficial for the university, Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kasım Karahocagil emphasized that he believes KAEU will also be successful in this journey of quality.
Bulbul: “Such a High Achievement in Quality for a Newly Established University is Incredible”
After the speech of KAEU Vice-Rector and Quality Management Coordinator Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kasım Karahocagil, KALDER Secretary General Sabri Bülbül took the floor. In his speech, Bülbül emphasized that it is incredible that Kırşehir Ahi Evran University has achieved such success in quality as it is one of the newly established universities. Secretary-General Sabri Bülbül stated that it is a very good and exciting situation that the software of Kırşehir Ahi Evran University, Ahi Competence-Based Digital Education Project (AYDEP), has turned into value and is set as an exemplary model for other universities, and he said that KAEU has significantly progressed in quality studies. Bülbül gave information about the quality process and the EFQM Excellence Model and wished KAEU success in the EFQM Excellence Model process.
Rector Karakaya: “If there is Faith, there is an Opportunity”
After the speech of KALDER Secretary-General Sabri Bülbül, Rector of KAEU Prof. Dr. Vatan Karakaya made a speech. In his speech, Rector Karakaya explained that they took important steps in the journey of quality with a team whose aim is quality and that they achieved great results. Prof. Dr. Vatan Karakaya said that “If there is faith, there is the opportunity." and continued that working with faith gives people energy to even delay sleep. Rector of KAEU Prof. Dr. Vatan Karakaya, who also explained that man is a being built at heart, continued as follows: “Man is built at heart and benefits from what he is built inside. That's why we look at the man not only as a mechanical being, but also as an example of the universe with its inside and outside, and as a being that carries a universe inside. And we believe that human-being deserves quality.”
Rector Karakaya: “The Document is Meaningful if it Serves its Purpose”
Rector Karakaya, who stated that they have never prioritized the document since the day they started quality studies, noted that the received documents will be meaningful when they contribute to the graduated students, the academicians, and administrative staff. Stating that KAEU has the infrastructure for the EFQM Excellence Model, Prof. Dr. Vatan Karakaya added that they see the quality studies they have carried out so far as a step to the next level. Explaining that Kırşehir Ahi Evran University's obtaining the 5-year Full Accreditation Certificate prepared by THEQC is an important step to the EFQM Excellence Model, the Rector of KAEU Prof. Dr. Vatan Karakaya stated that he believes that Kırşehir Ahi Evran University will successfully complete this process with the EFQM Excellence Model.
Rector Karakaya: “I think that our National Software AYDEP and IQMS are the Value of Ahi-Order in the 21st Century”
Rector Karakaya, who also gave information about the Quality Assurance System in Education, explained that this system was developed because of the inadequate education system in our country and that this system is an exemplary model in the whole country. Prof. Dr. Vatan Karakaya, who thinks that AYDEP and IQMS, the national software developed by our university, are the values of Ahi-Order in the 21st century, wished success to everyone who will contribute to the process by wishing the National Quality Movement to be beneficial.
After the opening speech, the Rector Prof. Dr. Vatan Karakaya and KALDER Secretary-General Sabri Bülbül signed the National Quality Movement Goodwill Declaration. The ceremony ended after a commemorative photograph was taken with the National Quality Movement Goodwill Declaration.
